IF THE GODS HAD INTENDED US TO VOTE THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN US CANDIDATES–this is the title of a book by Jim Hightower, above, an influential American commentator and author , whose well- written and researched material often has direct relevance to Australia- and our soon to be beefed up garrison towns of Darwin and Katherine .
A cowboy hat wearing Texan, Hightower should not be regarded in the same breath as a certain vacuous sombrero toting North Queenslander. His daily radio commentaries are carried on more than 150 commercial and public stations , on the web, on Armed Forces Radio, and on Radio for Peace International. In addition, he also publishes America’s fastest growing political newsletter –THE HIGHTOWER LOWDOWN-with 135,000 subscribers .
A cowboy hat wearing Texan, Hightower should not be regarded in the same breath as a certain vacuous sombrero toting North Queenslander. His daily radio commentaries are carried on more than 150 commercial and public stations , on the web, on Armed Forces Radio, and on Radio for Peace International. In addition, he also publishes America’s fastest growing political newsletter –THE HIGHTOWER LOWDOWN-with 135,000 subscribers .
An important person involved in production of the newsletter is Australian journalist/author, Phillip Frazer, who worked with Ralph Nader and has been mentioned in previous special Little Darwin posts dealing with Melbourne university magazines and several ground breaking publications . Frazer will be the subject of a separate article in the near future .
Hightower has spent three decades Fighting the Powers that Be on behalf of the Powers that Ought to Be ...consumers, working families, environmentalists , small businesses and “just- plain- folks.”
He believes the true political spectrum is not right to left but top to bottom .He has become a leading voice for 80 percent of the people who no longer find they are “ within shouting distance “ of the Washington and Wall Street powers at the top.
Hightower works closely with the alternative media , one being NationofChange-Progressive Journalism for Positive Action . A recent piece of his in NationofChange dealt with Afghanistan and covered the corruption, incredible US expenditure there of $8billion a month, the poppy trade , the Taliban and Pentagon hawks . He has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for the best national newsletter .
A New York Times bestseller author , apart for the title in the intro to this post, he has written THIEVES IN HIGH PLACES: THEY’VE STOLEN OUR COUNTRY AND IT IS TIME WE TOOK IT BACK. Another catchy title aimed at those who sit on the fence : THERE’S NOTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD BUT YELLOW STRIPES AND DEAD ARMADILLOS .
A former editor of the Texas Express , he says he keeps his ever-ready Texan humour up front , practicing the credo of an old Yugoslav proverb : “You can fight the gods and still have fun.”
Hightower has spent three decades Fighting the Powers that Be on behalf of the Powers that Ought to Be ...consumers, working families, environmentalists , small businesses and “just- plain- folks.”
He believes the true political spectrum is not right to left but top to bottom .He has become a leading voice for 80 percent of the people who no longer find they are “ within shouting distance “ of the Washington and Wall Street powers at the top.
Hightower works closely with the alternative media , one being NationofChange-Progressive Journalism for Positive Action . A recent piece of his in NationofChange dealt with Afghanistan and covered the corruption, incredible US expenditure there of $8billion a month, the poppy trade , the Taliban and Pentagon hawks . He has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for the best national newsletter .
A New York Times bestseller author , apart for the title in the intro to this post, he has written THIEVES IN HIGH PLACES: THEY’VE STOLEN OUR COUNTRY AND IT IS TIME WE TOOK IT BACK. Another catchy title aimed at those who sit on the fence : THERE’S NOTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD BUT YELLOW STRIPES AND DEAD ARMADILLOS .
A former editor of the Texas Express , he says he keeps his ever-ready Texan humour up front , practicing the credo of an old Yugoslav proverb : “You can fight the gods and still have fun.”
